Bio
Will Pupa was born in California to Italian-American parents who both came from the same province, “Caserta”, in the “Campania” region of Italy near Naples. Will grew up in Southern California. He did his BFA in sculpture at CSULB and then went to study in Florence at the Academy of Fine Arts and completed his degree in sculpture in Carrara, Italy. In addition to these formal studies Will also attended artistic anatomy courses for two years at the Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest. After ten years in Europe, the last two of which were devoted to an apprenticeship in the studio of a leading figurative Italian sculptor in Pietrasanta, Will returned to California.
In California Will taught Figure Drawing and Figure Sculpture courses at community colleges, art schools and universities while continuing to pursue his own artistic work.
He acquired the studio of his teacher in Pietrasanta, Italy and for years used it to offer private sculpture lessons and complete commissioned works. He organizes and directs the annual Summer Study Abroad program to Tuscany Italy for Loyola Marymount University. Presently Will is Artist in Residence in the Marymount Institute at LMU. Will is married to Giada Garofalo who is originally from the Mediterranean Island of Sardinia and they have a daughter.
Education
Academy of Fine Arts Carrara, Italy
Foreign Diploma Degree in Sculpture, MFA degree equivalent 1997
Academy of Fine Arts Florence, Italy
Sculpture Fellowship Invitation, 1991-1992
Academy of Fine Arts Budapest, Hungary
Drawing and Anatomy Apprenticeship, 1996-1998
California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, California
Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Sculpture, 1994
Teaching and Academic Experience
2007 to Present Artist in Residence, Marymount Institute at Loyola Marymount
University, Los Angeles, California
2002 to Present Director: Summer Study Abroad Program in Italy, Department of Art and Art
History, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California
2001 to Present Professor: Drawing I; Drawing II: Figure Drawing; Figure Workshop; Sculpture
Workshop, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California
2006 to 2007 Professor: Life Drawing, Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles,
California
2001 to 2005 Adjunct Professor: Beginning Drawing; Intermediate and Advanced Life
Drawing, El Camino College, Torrance, California
2001 to 2003 Instructor: Fundamentals of Drawing, Palos Verdes Art Center, Palos Verdes,
Cailfornia
Summer 2002 Director: Independent Art Program, Sculpture and Drawing Pietrasanta, Italy
1998 to 2000 Studio Instructor: Fundamentals of Drawing, Life Drawing, and Clay Modeling
in Tommasi Studios, Pietrasanta and Florence, Italy
1992-1995 Teaching Assistantship: Sculpture Techniques: Armature Construction; Plaster
Molds; Foundry Procedures
Professional Studio Management
1998 to 2000 Head Apprentice: Studios of sculptor Marcello Tommasi in Florence and
Pietrasanta, Italy.
1996 to1998 Appointed Apprenticeship: Budapest Studio of Professor Tibor Kiss in
Budapest, Hungary.
1994 to 1995 Cofounder and Director: Janos Foundry, Cararra, Italy, Development,
construction and maintenance of foundry.
Exhibitions and Presentations
“Flourish Not” McNish Art Gallery, Oxnard Community College,
Oxnard, California; 2005
“Skin and Bones” Da Gallery,
Pomona, California; 2004
“The Shepherdess and Chimneysweep” Crazy Space Gallery,
Santa Monica, California; 2004
“Pillars” Laband Gallery, Loyola Marymount University,
Los Angeles, California; 2003
“Faculty Art Exhibition” College Gallery, El Camino College,
Torrance, California; 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
"Il Disegno", Solo Exhibition of Drawings,
Altopascio, Italy; 1999
Invitational Sculpture Symposium,
Wunsiedel, Germany; 1997
"Eccoci", Two Person Exhibition,
Lido di Camaiore, Italy; 1996
“In Fieri", Group Invitational, Academy of Fine Arts,
Carrara, Italy; 1995
“All’Ombra delle Apuane", Palazzo Imperiale,
Massa, Italy, 1994
"XVII Premio di Arti Plastiche e Figurative per Giovani Artisti",
Palazzo Comunale, Monza, Italy; 1993; Group Invitational
"Passione per Arte", Prize: Honorable Mention, Palazzo Strozzi,
Florence, Italy; 1992
Commissioned Work
“The Nine Muses”, Margaret Bove Sculpture and Meditation Graden, Loyola Marymount University,
Los Angeles California; 2006
“A Journey into Love: Meditating with Piers Plowman” by Sr. Mary Clemente Davlin, O.P.,
cover drawing; 2008
“Marketplace”, painting, concept design and publicity poster for "Samarkand: Rites and Rituals of
Markets Old and New", written and directed by Wole Soyinka; 2008
“That All May Have Life”, Loyola Marymount University,
Los Angeles California; 2010